


See you in a few years, maybe

by lunaemoth



Series: December Images Prompts Challenge [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Challenge Response, Darcy Lewis's Taser, F/F, F/M, Multi, Sexual Harassment, Threesome - F/F/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-02-28 00:46:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2712788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaemoth/pseuds/lunaemoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the <a href="http://fuckyeahdarcylewis.tumblr.com/post/103058499362/mod-post-december-images-prompts-challenge">December Images Prompts Challenge</a> of fuckyeahdarcylewis (Days 3,8,16)</p><p> </p><p>  <i>She sighed and showed him her middle finger. She didn’t slow down and her shoulders tensed in anticipation of a reaction. The laughter that followed wasn’t really what she expected.</i><br/><i>“Wait, wait! Can you show me <a href="http://media.tumblr.com/bfa57af6db7faf05dc87a9d6f9d68346/tumblr_inline_nfaw9leTcC1qbvhdg.jpg">that ring</a>? It's awesome!” </i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Highway to hell

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place before _Thor_ and _Iron Man2_ 's events.
> 
> I'm french and this isn't beta-ed. If you see any mistakes, please send me a comment with the way to correct it and I'd be pleased to do so.  
> You can find me on tumblr : lunaemoth.tumblr.com

Darcy gritted her teeth, ignored the whistling she heard and quickened her pace. Once again, she cursed her friends for letting her down and putting her in a situation where she was alone at nine in the evening in _this_ neighborhood. Fortunately, she wasn’t too far from the bar anymore. She lengthened her stride, passing by two guys leaving a taxi.

“Hey, sweetheart!”

Of fucking course… Darcy sighed and showed him her middle finger. She didn’t slow down and her shoulders tensed in anticipation of a reaction. The laughter that followed wasn’t really what she expected.

“Wait, wait! Can you show me that ring? It’s awesome!”

It was pretty stupid of her to listen and turn around, but the voice seemed older than the type of guys that usually annoyed her, and she hadn’t been expecting good humor. She blinked and did a double take. But no, she hadn’t had anything to drink yet so, yes, that was indeed Tony Stark right in front of her, grinning widely. He gestured to her hand and she extended it to him. His leather gloves closed softly around her wrist and he showed her ring to the black man standing next to him.

“See that Rhodey? It’s awesome! I should wear one to those inane board meetings.”

“Yeah, Tony, it’s totally your style,” his friend remarked dryly.

They were both richly clothed, though Stark was more ostentatious about it. They were here for the conference Culver was hosting just before the holidays, but she had never thought she’d have the opportunity to meet Stark… and she hadn’t really tried or hoped to.

“Sorry about that,” Rhodey said to her, “we’re just hoping for some directions. The driver said this club would be nearby, in a pedestrian street.”

He showed her the card for a high-end club, Highway to Hell, also called 2H. It was the best place in town and impossible to get into without pulling a few strings, although that was hardly a problem for Tony Stark.

She took back her hand and buried it in her pocket to stave off the cold. She bounced up and down to warm herself.

“Yeah, you’ve got to take a right at the next turn and then left…”

But Stark had already put an arm around her shoulders and dragged her in the direction she had indicated. “So, that ring, where did you find it?”

“Um… a shop you probably wouldn’t be caught dead in?”

He burst into laughter but didn’t deny it. “So, you _did_ recognize me, I wasn’t sure. Most of the time people are more obvious about it. He’s James Rhodes. What’s your name?”

“Tony…” James groaned in warning. The sympathy she felt for him vanished when she heard him mutter “underage”.

“Darcy, and I’m twenty-one, no fake ID needed.”

“See, Rhodey, you’re worrying for nothing!”

“But I’m not sleeping with you ever.” She pushed his arm from her shoulders and ignored his gaping and Rhodey’s appreciative smirk. When Stark opened his mouth to convince her, she raised her hand and showed him her middle finger. That shut him right up as he again admired the audacity of her jewelry. Apparently, a ring she had bought for four bucks was a good investment.

“I like you,” Stark stated with an air of finality and not a little bit of awe. The night had officially taken a turn for the surreal and Darcy wasn’t about to complain. “Are you a student at Culver?”

“Yeah, but hold your horses dude, I’m neither engineer nor scientist. I’m in poli-sci.”

“Well… Everyone has flaws.” His matter-of-fact toneafter a few seconds of reflection made her laugh. She would have been annoyed if he wasn’t saying it like it was her only flaw… which was flattering. She was starting to understand why women fell at his feet.

“I’ve got a minor in computer science. It was my first choice but it became boring, so I changed my major.”

“Boring! How could computers be more boring than politics?”

“There were only geeks and nerds all around. Their idea of a good time was coding a new mod for Skyrim. Which, don’t get me wrong, is actually kinda cool but totally not my thing.” Rhodes was smothering a laugh behind his hand and Tony had affected a look of mock outrage but his mouth was twitching into a grin which totally counted as a win in her book. They rounded a corner and she caught sight of the club with its long line of hopeful party-goers. She pointed at it and said “Here we are! It was nice meeting you guys, have a good night."

Stark looked at her like she had sprouted another head and caught her sleeve before she could turn back. “Come on, we can get you in.”

“Tony, she probably has plans for the evening.”

“Well, she’s here alone. Obviously, whoever those plans are, they aren’t worth it.”

Something about the way he said it made her wonder if he had roped her into tagging along for a reason beyond getting into her pants. She thought back to all the men they had passed on the way to the club: they had barely whispered, it would have been different had she been unaccompanied. The idea that Stark had been protecting her as well as hitting on her made her rethink her lackluster plans for the evening. She could nurse a couple drinks waiting on the friends who’d had to make a detour and left her without a ride or…

She thought about the envy she’d provoke at the mere mention of setting foot in 2H, let alone with Tony Stark and, bonus, she could remind them that if they hadn’t been late… Oh, yes, that was perfect. She couldn’t let this opportunity pass her by.

“Plans cancelled,” she said, typing quickly on her phone. She put her arm through Stark’s with a cheeful grin. “Lead the way.”

“That’s what I like to hear!”

“But I’m still not sleeping with you.”

“Debbie downer.”

As she expected, they totally skipped the line and went straight to the bouncer. Tony shifted his scarf to show off his precious and famous face (Darcy definitely heard a few gasps from the line). The big man stepped aside. Tony slipped him a couple of folded bills that Darcy was pretty sure more than exceeded the cover charge for all three of them.

Darcy wasn’t a big fan of nightclubs; they were generally too loud, too crowded and too hot. Highway to Hell was definitely hot… but it also had the best sound quality ever, and the VIP lounge was airy and sparsely populated. With all of her winter gear left in the cloakroom, she was in a low-cut top with tight jeans and heeled boots. She was busy taking in the decoration of red and yellow lights and black furniture in contemporary style so she realized a bit late why Stark was so quiet.

“Hey.” She poked him on the nose. “My eyes are up here, billionaire. And besides, for ogling rights, you’ve got to buy me alcohol.”

He smirked at her while Rhodey rolled his eyes at their antics (that could be a summary of the evening). They sat down in a booth and Darcy bounced on the leather seat. Ten out of ten in comfiness, definitely.

“Jesus, kid, do you want to climb on the coffee table too, while you’re at it?” Tony mocked.

“Don’t call someone you want to fuck a kid Mr Stark, that’s not healthy, even for you,” she answered lightly. Rhodey smirked. “I don’t care much about the table, it’s boring. The seat though… it’s heaven. And don’t look at me like that, you’d be disappointed if I didn’t appreciate everything that money can buy, admit it.”

They had a good time until, afterhalf an hour and some weird triangle of flirt, talk and sass, two girls managed to entice Tony enough to sit down with them. Even Rhodey was charmed. Darcy quickly bailed out. She went to the dance floor and swayed to rock songs. She was pretty pleased with her evening so far and as the music picked up she really let herself go, moving without a care in the world.

Unfortunately, her bubble was quickly shattered. A heavy touch on her ass startled her and she tried to slap away the offending hand, growling a “Hey, hands off” for good measure. Instead of heeding her, it went lower. She gritted her teeth and prepared herself to punch the bastard.

“You heard the lady. Fuck off.”

She whirled around to see Tony Stark pushing away a massive guy, taller than him by a good five inches, without a backward glance. Tony put his hands around her waist, but his touch was light and unobtrusive.

“Thanks,” she said, because now that she had seen the guy, she didn’t really feel so bold anymore. “I really need a taser,” she muttered to herself.

“Yeah? Sounds like a good idea.”

“Except that I’m broke. It’ll have to wait.” She changed the subject by looking around. “Where are your two groupies?”

“With Rhodey. I came to dance with you. You looked like you were having a great time.”

“Before the groping? Yeah, definitely. He kinda killed my buzz, though.”

“Mh… More cocktails?” He offered, as though alcohol could solve any problem.

She rolled her eyes and asked for the most expensive one ~~~~she had liked – yeah, okay, she was totally abusing her privileges, but Stark seemed more amused by it than anything.

Between that buzz-killer (GrabbyHands McAsshole was his name) and the giggling sycophants Tony attracted in droves, Darcy’s mood continued to darken and she considered leaving, even if it was only 11pm.

Once again, Stark surprised her. She was sitting on his right – only because he had dragged her down next to him when they came back from the bar – and his arm suddenly went from the seat behind her to her waist, pulling her closer. “You look bored to death sweetheart, where is that smile I like?”

She raised an eyebrow at him, because seriously? She didn’t even remember smiling at him… The only possible answer was to show him her middle finger, of course. He laughed good-naturedly, even as the women around them looked at her in wide-eyed reproof. Rhodey gave her a thumbs-up and resumed his conversation with the lady on his right.

“Seriously. You want something, you only need to ask, so why the face?”

It was a good question. She had top-shelf liquor, sweet tunes… the company could be worse…

“I want cuddles,” she said flippantly. She had no idea what to answer, but she thought that would make Stark run away (he didn’t really look like the type to cuddle: sex, yeah, snuggles, nah).

“Damn, you drive a hard bargain,” he answered, tilting his head with a suspicious look.

She smirked. That was a mistake as he took it as a challenge. He pulled her into his lap and she squeaked, nearly kicking her glass off the coffee table.

“Stark! You know I was kidding!” Darcy exclaimed once her laughter had subsided. She made no move to get down however: the looks on their companions’ faces were priceless. She figured Tony was enjoying the attention too because he simply adjusted his hold with a smug grin.  

She slowly relaxed against him, lulled by his warmth and firm but comforting embrace. Her gaze was drawn by the circle of light in the middle of his chest. She had politely tried not to stare before but, after so much alcohol, it was now a lost cause. She traced it, getting a sense of metal and glass beneath the fabric, before spreading her fingers out and watching the light play through them.

She was aware of Tony’s eyes on her and she asked in a soft voice only he could hear: “Does it hurt?”

He drank from his glass before looking out into the club and answering: “Sometimes.”

Darcy hummed and leaned her head on his shoulder. She curled a hand around his neck to play with his hair. They didn’t talk much after that.

She only pulled away to go to the restroom and a glance backwards showed her the hovering females had quickly taken her place. She shook her head. That was predictable and it didn’t matter anyway. She’d had fun and after the light cuddle session, she was ready to go back to dancing.

That’s where Stark found her later. Having seen him coming, she had been prepared to wrap her arms around his shoulders so they could talk through the noise. She wasn’t expecting him to move so quickly and smoothly. He put a hand on her cheek and tilted his head down to claim her lips. After a first startled squeak, she followed his lead because, damn, Tony Stark was kissing her, and he was really good at it.

The kiss was long, _very_ thorough, and she’d even picked up a few new tricks, but when they finally separated all she could think of was: “You remember I won’t sleep with you, right?”

He smirked. “Damn, I thought that’d do it.” When she rolled her eyes, he kissed her nose. “My gut warned me you’d probably bail soon, so I had to take what I can before you leave.”

She blinked. “I _was_ actually going to warn you I was leaving…”

“Oh, you’d have at least told me? I’m honored…”

She bumped his shoulder. “I figured I should thank you for the alcohol and the full VIP club experience.”

He rolled his eyes. “Let’s dance for a bit and then I’ll lead you back and pay your cab fare.” She tried to protest. “Psssht, not a word. Rhodey would kill me if I let you go without making sure you get home safe.”

She hid a smile by burying her face in his neck. While Stark was eccentric and pompous, he was also fun. He certainly wasn’t the rapacious womanizer the media painted him as (womanizer yes, rapacious not so much), but he also wasn’t what she had imagined him to be.  

 

***

 

When she left the cloakroom, he was waiting for her, talking to one of the bouncers.

“That’s the lady,” he said and the bouncer nodded before leaving, presumably to get her a taxi.

“Well, thanks for the evening. I have no idea why you wanted me to join, but I had fun.”

Stark nodded, but instead of replying he kissed her again. It was a light brush of lips this time, but nice none the less. He played with a lock of her hair.

“See you in a few years, maybe,” he said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes and raised her middle finger. He smirked and turned back to the dim interior of the club.

She nibbled on her lips while watching him go, wondering if she had made a mistake. She shook her head and left.

***

 

A few days later, she was back at her parents’ home for the holidays. Her father called: “Darcy, you’ve got a package!”    

It was a Stark Industries taser.

“Best Christmas present ever,” she whispered, wide-eyed.

 

***

She never told anyone she had met Tony Stark. It felt oddly private.

Later, after she had tasered the god of thunder, she raised her middle finger to the SHIELD agents. Just because Stark would have liked it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Edit 21/12/2014:** This chapter is now beta-ed by _belladonnaprice_ ! I can't thank her enough for her work here, she helped a lot since this was rushed for the challenge. She added a few things too, like the surname _GrabbyHands McAsshole_. =)


	2. Go along with the flow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the eighth day of December, based on [this photo](http://media.tumblr.com/27c4f72413f4d767dedc6427e45df5ad/tumblr_inline_nfawedf7iN1qbvhdg.jpg). This chapter is in the POV of Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I was totally flabbergasted by the success of the first chapter. You were many to comment and wonder/ask for a sequel, for which I thank you a lot, I was really pleased you liked it so much! =)  
> So, here it is! Sequel, tadada! A little explanation first: I like Pepper and I think Tony/Pepper is a really nice couple, very important for Tony's character, so I refused to break them up for this story. I found an... alternative way, let's say, and I hope you'll like it.

Tony adjusted his earpiece, as if that could ease the level of stupidity he was hearing. He sighed while staring at the railway station and its sign proclaiming “Train Tickets” in golden lettering. He took one second to wish he could hop on a train and go far away from annoying people, then he took ten more seconds to wish Happy would hurry up. Why did he agree to pick up the girl, again? Oh, yeah, Thor. That guy was surprisingly persuasive.

“No, I’m not listening actually. We’ve been over this and you’re wasting my time. I told you this project was a dead-end a month ago, why are you bringing it up again?”

He touched the screen built into the seat in front of him and quickly consulted Jarvis’ memo. Ah, yeah. Darcy Lewis, that was right. Names were such a bother. He probably won’t remember it. Oh, well, he’ll find a nickname… something not too offensive in light of Thor’s affection for the girl... he kinda liked Thor and, you know… self-preservation.

“There is no practical application. Contrary to what you may think, Stark Industries is not being funded by aliens, the money comes from what we sell. No things to sell, no money, no projects. If it bothers you, go and have fun researching theories at some backwater university.”

He looked up when the door on the other side of the car finally opened. A brunette got in, pretty, nice rack, not too tall. She looked twentyish and she was wearing acceptable glasses that weren’t for show, good for her; he couldn’t stand those hispters. On her head was a red knit hat that was adequate but only because of the color. She smiled at him and oh, ok, beautiful lips too, yep, really nice mouth.

He gestured to his ear and she nodded. Good girl. Happy closed the door behind her and went to put her bags in the trunk.

“Oh, I see where this is going. Having difficulties accepting you got beat by a woman, are you? Her project is a go, not yours, this is final. And one last thing: you’re fired.” He tapped his earpiece twice to end the call then tapped it once more. Beside him, Lewis was taking off her scarf, knitted too but a royal blue this time. “Jarvis, get HR on that and inform mh… what’s-her-name… Yeah, that, inform her she has a promotion. It was overdue anyway. Tell her emails are perfectly fine. I can’t stand her voice and at least _she_ knows how to write in full and proper English… Thanks buddy.”

Happy started the car while Tony pulled off his earpiece and turned to his guest. “Hey. Let’s go with…” She raised an eyebrow while he contemplated her nickname. He hesitated given that his first idea was… not conducive to a peaceful relationship with an Asgardian prince. “Assistant.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s the best you can come up with?”

“Give me some time, I’ll find better.”

She shook her head but there was a strange smile on her lips like… a fond smile? Weird. Now that he took the time for more than one glance at her, he had a strange sense of déjà-vu.

“Getting picked up by Tony Stark to hear him firing someone in a blink _and_ called that someone on his misogyny… this is one of the strangest day of my life, and I have had some weird ones,” she commented with a lot more casualness than he’s used to people displaying in response to him. “Nice car by the way. It’s quiet. Is it electric?”

“Yes,” he answered automatically, finding himself a little thrown by her behavior.

“Cool. Your technology, of course.” She was playing with her scarf, folding it again and again.

“Of course.” He was frowning because… “We’ve met before,” he realized.

She smiled and finally met his eyes. “I was wondering if you’d remember…”

“When?”

“Ah,” she laughed, “no, that would be too easy. You have to remember on your own.”

“We didn’t sleep together.” He was pretty sure of that at least. Not that he remembered everyone with whom he’d slept with – talk about mission impossible – but because he’d have remember _her_ if they had, he was pretty sure of it. She had… a style, let’s say, not like his others one-night stands had.

“Nope, we didn’t,” she confirmed with a mischievous expression that told him their meeting hadn’t been purely platonic either – not surprising, she was a looker, even if she hid under several layers of knitted wear. That pullover hid _everything,_ which was understandable since it was freezing outside, but sad since he _knew_ there were some delightful things to see underneath.

He snapped his fingers, trying to jog his memories, but finally turned to his touch screen to pull up her biography.

“Politics, really?” He sneered, but she only kept smiling. “We talked about that,” he deduced.

“Yep, we did. Do you want me to rehash it? Let’s see: I have a minor in computer sciences, it was my major but I changed it because it was boring. Yes, more boring than politics, something to do with the company, nerds and all that…”

“And yet, you ended up interning with an astrophysicist.”

“Yes, I did.”

“We didn’t meet since, I’d have remembered you.”

“Oh, you remember the interns? That’s nice to know.”

“Only the ones working with the most brilliant astrophysicist I’ve ever met.”

She smiled. “Jane said you were enthusiast about her work. Glad to see she’s right.”

“So… we met at least four years ago.” Which means she would have been around twenty-two and in college at Culver. That explained why they hadn’t slept together. It was a bit young, even for him, though he had made some exceptions. And four years ago, he had just started his relationship with Pepper. So, maybe a bit before, if he believed her smirk. Five years ago, maybe? “At a conference?”

“You’re getting closer.”

“I was there for a conference. We met at Culver… nearby, anyway.” He rubbed the beard on his chin. Nothing was coming. If he was right about the time, it was probably when he was poisoned by palladium, not exactly the best period of his life.

His earpiece beeped, warning him of a call and he sighed when the name of the head of HR appeared on the screen. He couldn’t even fire stupid people like he wanted…

“I need to take that,” he stated.

“Sure. Tell me when you figure it out,” she replied, seemingly indifferent.

 

***

 

He didn’t figure it out for weeks. It annoyed him sometimes, when they bumped into each other and he was reminded of it, but most of the time he had more important things to think about.

It was the end of the winter holidays. Lewis had came back from her family vacation the 29th of December. He should probably have asked how her trip had been and all that; Pepper was always reminding him that human niceties were a thing. Tony had been busy with parties and Pepper-time for the next week. Then there were the well wishes for the New Year, the bi-annual meetings, the statement of account for 2014, expectations for 2015… Oh, yeah, and he had a tower full of Avengers to deal with.

He was never bored.

But sometimes, like the ghost of his trip in outer space was determined not to leave him in peace, he couldn’t breathe. He needed something to focus on, something concrete, and tinkering on the iron suit wasn’t always the brightest idea. He had tried, and the panic attack thing had came back, and yeah, not cool.

“Jarvis, is there something interesting on TV?” He asked in a hoarse voice.

“No, Sir. There is however something going on in the common labs’ hallway that you might find interesting. But I have to remind you that spying on your employees would be a breach of privacy…”

“Yeah? Well I think I forgot a… thing in the hallway anyway, I’m just checking.”

“Yes, Sir.”

When the CTV came on screen, Tony realized why Jarvis found it worth mentioning. He had made a few inquiries into Darcy Lewis since he picked her up so the AI had noted his interest.

Lewis seemed to be in a lively conversation with another assistant, not one of the interesting ones; she was poking him in the chest.

“…obviously you didn’t take a good enough look, come on a little closer,” she was saying.

Stupid male that he was, he leaned forward looking clearly at her cleavage before startling and backing off.

“Did you get a nice view now? Back off, dude, or the sexual harassment form will be in HR before you can take your fill.”

They separated.

“Jarvis, pause it and give me a close up on… yeah, like that…”

The zoom on her cleavage slowly became sharper as Jarvis manipulated it. Tony noticed [the necklace but the details](http://www.tombinnsdesign.com/p/say2t12/gold-fuck-you-on-silver-chain-necklace) explained _everything_. The gold _fuck you_ lettering was a sharp reminder of a certain ring…

“The Fuck You Girl!” He stood up suddenly, snapping his fingers in his illumination. Of course! It explained a lot of things and it fitperfectly. The memories came forward quickly and he compared them to the casual attitude of Assistant. Yes, it was the same.

That first time, he had been surprised by the fact she didn’t treat him any differently though she knew who he was, and that day in the car she had acted in the same way. No, in fact, it had been more than that… she had treated him with an open-mind, accepting him and his quirks without question, without judgment, but not taking any shit either.

And now he was remembering what Thor said about her, that she had tasered him when he had scared her and… oh, yeah, he had sent her a taser, hadn’t he? So… Thor had been tasered thanks to him! Awesome!

He smirked.

“It seems like you feel better, Sir,” Jarvis commented cautiously.

“You bet! I got a god tasered!”

“… Congratulations, Sir.”

Of course he couldn’t sit on his discovery for too long. He held on for half an hour before popping into the lab. Dr Foster had a lunch date with Thor, he knew, and Jarvis had informed him that Lewis ate at her desk when she was alone. Indeed, she was chewing on a pasta salad. Home-cooked, he wondered? It looked like it from the Tupperware. She was eating with earphones on and she startled when he threw himself onto a seat next to her.

“So where’s the ring?” He asked when she took her earphones off.

“Oh, you finally remembered? Nice. It only took you… three weeks. Did you have to ask Mr Rhodes?”

“That’s Colonel Rhodes to you and nope, that would have been cheating.” He was so not telling her how he remembered.

“The ring was cheap, it broke. I got this to replace it,” she explained, showing off the necklace.

Tony took the opportunity to ogle just a bit before answering. “Nice. But not as effective.”

She shrugged. “It has its uses.”

“And the taser?”

She smirked. “Apparently, you already heard about its most famous use…”

He smirked back. “Yeah, I did. Atta girl.” He offered his hand and they high-fived.

“You know, I should thank you.” She waved when he tried to interrupt her. “Not for the taser, though it’s pretty awesome. No, I won one hundred and fifty dollars thanks to you. That’s how I could afford the necklace.”

“What? How?”

“I bet with my college friends that your relationship with Pepper Potts would last more than six months and I totally took the pot. It was awesome. You should have seen their faces ‘it’s a publicity stunt, it totally is’. Ah, eat that, guys!”

He stilled and frowned. “Why did you bet that?”

She shrugged between two mouthfuls of pasta. “Because you’re in love. It’s obvious.”

“Expert in billionaires, are you?” He sneered a little.

She snorted. “Nah. Just in scientists.”

That unnerved him a little. He nodded to her in acknowledgment and left without speaking.

He had liked the Fuck You girl. She didn’t know much about him, she didn’t want anything from him, she didn’t really care much about him either, and yet she’d spent quality time with him, free of any expectations. That was what he had needed at the time and it was a good memory.

That was one of the many things he had liked about her: she stayed aloof.

He didn’t want more from her. In fact, now that he had Pepper, he didn’t want anything from her. He wasn’t as lonely as he was five years ago. He didn’t need her.

And so he stayed away from her.

 

***

It worked for a time, until this simple plan blew up in a Big Bang worthy upheaval.

It was mid-February and Pepper had left a week ago for a month of travel to their overseas branches. He was feeling… great… greatly miserable. Pepper and he had had a little fight before she left and maybe it was gnawing at him. Just, you know… maybe.

And maybe, just maybe, he had drowned his feelings in a little bit more alcohol than ordinary… maybe.

But that certainly didn’t excuse Darcy Lewis from barging into his private lab!

“What are you doing here? And what the hell is that?” He pointed to the Christmas sweater she was wearing. “It’s February!”

“I wear whatever I want whenever I want in my apartment. And that’s where I was Stark, in my apartment, because it’s nine o’clock in the evening, before I received a call from _Pepper Potts_ asking _me_ to stop _you_ from drowning in _alcohol_.”

He chose to ignore all the irrelevant parts of her miniature tirade.

“Well, now you’re in my lab and I refuse to put up with that horror here.”

“Oh, really?”

“Absolutely.”

“Fine!” She grabbed the hem of her sweater and, in the same movement, dragged off both it and her shirt. She tossed it on the floor, out of his sight. That left her in her bra and her ‘Fuck you’ necklace. He was pretty sure she had done that on purpose. “Is that better?”

He gawked at her a little. He couldn’t even muster up enough sass to make a comment about the fact she was in a horrible sweater but in a very nice lacy bra.

She strode forward and poked him on the arc reactor.

“Stop changing the subject Stark. Where is your alcohol stash? I’ll throw everything in the sink.”

Well, _that_ stopped him from ogling. “What? Woah, who said you’re my guardian?”

“Pepper Potts did! Do you know how worried she is?”

He put a hand on her mouth. “Jarvis, did you rat me out?”

“Protocol states that Ms Potts is to be warned when you show harmful habits, Sir. Your consumption of alcohol doubled in the last week. I did warn you about it.”

Tony gritted his teeth. Darcy pushed his hand away. “So, congratulations Stark, the girl you tried to avoid is now your new caretaker.”

“You’re not throwing away my alcohol! It’s high quality.”

“And yet you gulp it down as if it were water!”

“I do what I want, isn’t that what you just said?”

“Not if it makes you an alcoholic!”

“Why the fuck do you care Lewis?!”

She opened her mouth but no noise came from it. She took a step back, swallowed and tried again: “My brother is an alcoholic.” She left it at that but her eyes were gleaming from tears. God, he hated people crying. He always felt so awkward… Thankfully, he didn’t need to do anything. She quickly pulled herself together. “And I won’t let it happen to anyone else. _So_ , either I throw everything away or you swear to me that you won’t drink alone anymore and Jarvis will monitor you to be sure.”

Tony threw up his hands. “Really? Are you babying me?!”

“Pepper told me I was free to use any methods of my choosing as long as you stop harming yourself. She even suggested sex, by the way,” Darcy said, pushing her hair behind her shoulders and putting her assets on display.

“What?!”

“Apparently, you had a fight. I don’t know about what and it’s not my business, but she’ll be away for a while. So, she said… oh bother, just call her for Thor’s sake! Who am I? Your couples therapist? I’m not paid enough for that… even if I _am_ paid now, which is nice by the way. I’ll be in your penthouse. Call her and then come upstairs.”

Despite his protests, she took back her clothes and strode away, probably to rummage through his cupboards and look for alcohol. If she threw out any of the French wine, there was going to be hell to pay…

          

He called Pepper. He got chewed out. And then he went upstairs.

Darcy was waiting for him, eyes closed, stretched out on the black leather couch. She hadn’t put her clothes back on and her shoes were on the floor. A soft blanket was draped over her.

“So?” She asked.

“So. I won’t drink alone anymore… and you’re allowed to monitor me as you like,” he grumbled.

“Ok. Do you want sex or not?”

He twitched. Pepper _had_ offered the possibility – which baffled him to no end – as long as it was with Darcy because she trusted her apparently and when had _that_ happened? Her second condition was that he was always honest about it. It had made his imagination go wild and when he had naturally asked about a threesome, her “maybe” had made him shiver. It was safe to say he wasn’t looking at Darcy in the same way anymore.

“You’re weird,” he blurted out.

She finally looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Tony rubbed his face and went to sit next to her.

“There are two types of people. Those who want something from me and those that don’t want anything to do with me.”

“And then there’s Pepper,” she added.

He shook his head. “No, Pepper was in the second category initially. And then there was you…” He poked her ankles. “You never asked for anything but you never fled from me either. You just… went along with it.”

“And that’s weird? Good weird or bad weird?”

“Good, I guess.”

“Good, because that’s basically my life motto ‘Go along with the flow, enjoy the ride’. I followed Jane from New Mexico to London through two crises. I’m a free element.” She spread her arms to mimic wings. He snorted because frankly her imitation needed work. She nudged his thigh with her foot. “You changed the subject again Stark. Does it mean you don’t want sex? Oh, I know! Cuddles!”

“No.”

“You know you want it!”

She sat up straight in a smooth move and the blanket fell from her shoulders, unveiling her smooth, pale skin as well as her bra (her assets were rather marvelous if he was perfectly honest with himself). She was straddling his lap before he could tear his gaze away and he automatically put his arms around her waist to make sure she didn’t fall.

“What’s up with you and snuggling?” He groused.

“I’m a cuddler, deal with it.”

Like last time, she stroked the arc reactor through his shirt, mesmerized by the light. He settled down and looked at her. She was young – probably too young for him some would say. Yet she had charmed her way into Pepper’s heart as well as his. Even Rhodey had been approving when he realized that Darcy truly hadn’t slept with him five years ago.

He let her nestle her head on his shoulder and her cold hands against the small of his back. He leaned his head back against the couch, pressed an arm on his eyes and slowly relaxed. “Jarvis. Lights at twenty percent.”

Darcy hummed, appreciative. She took back the blanket and draped it once again around her shoulders. He felt her lips against the skin of his neck, a light press and a reminder of what she was offering.

“Pepper likes you,” he whispered.

“That’s nice to know. She is like a goddess on Earth.” The admiration in her voice made him smile.

“Yes, she is.”

“And she told me I could sleep with her knight in shining armor.” She knocked lightly on his arc reactor at that and he snorted. “I wouldn’t want to be decapitated for it, you know. It kinda kills the mood.”

“Pepper is classier than that.”

“Yeah? What would she do?”

“Ruin your life.”

“… Yeah, I can see that. I’m sorry to say you’re not worth it. I’m going to go now, it was nice meeting you and all that,” she said mischievously, moving back.

She leaned into the resistance of his arm around her waist. He nudged her back into his lap and settled his hands on her backside. “Too late,” he whispered against her lips before kissing her slowly and thoroughly. She hummed with pleasure and his last doubts disappeared. “Did you meet a better kisser than me since last time?” He wondered.

“How did you know you’re the best?”

“Baby, you were practically taking notes.”

She rolled her eyes when he smirked. “For that, you owe me at least two orgasms.”

“Two? That’s easy. Let’s make it three.” He pulled her close and she let out a little whimper when his arousal met hers. He wrapped her hair around his fingers while their lips danced against each other.

“Tony,” she whispered plaintively, “you let your beard grow, it itches.”

“I’ll trim it tomorrow,” he promised. Pepper usually helped him with it but since she was gone he hadn’t bothered. He nuzzled Darcy’s neck and kissed behind her ear, careful to not rub his chin against her sensitive skin. Her hands left his back to bury themselves in his hair and he hummed appreciatively.

Darcy grinned. “Tony Stark likes head rubs. I’m so taking advantage of that.”

“Hold on. I think there’re some non-disclosure agreements lying around somewhere…”

She laughed. He pinched her sides. She bolted from his lap and he chased her to the bedroom. She kept the bed between them and raised her hands – which offered a really nice view of her breasts.

“Alright, I yield! Under one condition!” She smirked. “I want music.”

He grinned. “Jarvis, you heard the lady.”

 _Highway to Hell_ from ACDC sounded out in the bedroom. Darcy let her jean fall on the floor and bounced onto the bed.

 

***

In spite of all the orgasms, he still woke up in the middle of the night, in a sweat and breathless. He sat up and clenched his fists to suppress the shudders. However, before he could leave the bed as he used to, legs intertwined with his. Darcy had sat up beside him and she rubbed his back up and down. She didn’t say a word. He was grateful for it. Her hands went to his hair, scraping lightly, pressing against the back of his neck, behind his ears, helping him to focus and calm his breathing. He leaned against her and they slowly laid back down, his head pressed against her breasts, her hands rubbing the tension away.

With her body pressed to his, he fell back into a mercifully untroubled sleep.

 

***

The next day, when he was itching to drink, he used some scraps from his last iron suit to create a ‘ _fuck you_ ’ ring. He’s not much of an artist and it took him more time than it should have, but she was ecstatic. “One of the best Christmas gifts ever,” she said, even if it was two months late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so, so... *jump everywhere* Did you like it? Was it as good as the first chapter for you? Tell me! And maybe, if you want, I'll do a sequel with Pepper this time... but only if you'd like it, if you're not Darcy/Tony/Pepper fans, I'll left it at that.
> 
>  **Quick reminder:** I'm french and this isn't beta-ed, leave me a comment if you want me to correct a mistake! And you can find me on [tumblr](http://lunaemoth.tumblr.com).  
>  **EDIT 20/12/2014:** It's beta-ed! _Belladonnaprice_ proofread it!


	3. Three is balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Day 16 of the challenge, based on [this image](http://media.tumblr.com/35fdfd7563c5eb2bfdbf244edf71aaa8/tumblr_inline_nfawloNd1E1qbvhdg.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, people! On popular demand, the **last** chapter, with Pepper!
> 
> I'd like to thank [belladonaprice](http://belladonnaprice.tumblr.com/). She proof read this chapter and agreed to proof read the two others as soon as she can. This chapter is beta-ed, people! No more horrors from your french writer! You'll be able to fully appreciate the story.  
> I learnt a lot thanks to her, she's really awesome. Thanks again _Bella_ ! ♥

 

Tony walked into his penthouse, loosening his tie and taking off his suit jacket. Teeth gritted, he immediately walked to the bar and took two glasses and a bottle of scotch.

“I’m warning Miss Lewis, Sir,” Jarvis said.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, tattletale,” Tony muttered. “Give me music.”

ACDC sounded out around him as he descended the stairs to his workshop. Putting down what he had brought on the first free space, he threw his tie… somewhere and unbuttoned his dress shirt, taking it off and throwing it too. Once in his undershirt, he walked to the Captain America suit he had on display while working on its resistance, took the dart launcher he was working on for the Black Window and fired several explosive darts at the suit. He stayed immobile, admiring the fireworks.

“Assessment, Jarvis?” he asked, turning to put back the launcher and pour some scotch in the glasses.

As the AI stated numbers, a holoprojection appeared to represent the suit and its condition. Tony sat on a stool and focused on it for a few minutes, until the music volume decreased by half, warning him of Darcy’s arrival before her first words:

“What the hell is your problem?! For your information, threatening to drink doesn’t count as a valid booty call. Nor do explosions as a way to relax!”

“Hi kitten, nice to see you too,” he answered, raising a glass in offer without turning back.

But she put herself between him and the holoprojector, showing off her naked legs, her wet hair and a white shirt too big for her (not one of his but definitely a man’s… Thor’s?). She was barefoot and the light coming from behind highlighted her figure. She was playing with his tie and glaring at him. Tony licked his lips.

“You were showering.”

“Point for the genius.” She took the glasses out of his hands and put them away. “We had an agreement Tony. No fucking alcohol in the lab. That’s a recipe for disaster and you know it!” Hands on her hips, she looked at him closely. “What’s the problem?”

“No problem. Just, you know, booty call,” he said, holding his hands out to grab her waist and pull her closer. She batted them way.

“Bullshit. And you know the rules. Sex is only when you behave.”

He pulled a face and shrugged. “Fine,” he said, turning back to his work, but she grabbed his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. Stepping between his legs, she kissed his brow and he closed his eyes.

“Just an annoying dinner meeting,” he admitted after a minute.

“Better, but still not the truth,” she noted. “Why the explosion?” He shook his head, turning away from her. “Tony,” she called him softly. “I’m not Pepper.”

He snorted. “I know.”

“I’m not Pepper,” she repeated, “I’m here because I want you to feel better and because you make me feel better too.” He looked up at her soft expression. “I don’t judge you. I’ve no expectations… except that you stay away from alcohol.” Their faces were close. So close that when she whispered her lips stroked his skin: “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I want to fly,” he blurted out in a whisper.

“Then do it.”

“I’ve no suit anymore,” he reminded her.

“Liar,” she whispered in his ear.

“… Aren’t you supposed to report me? You and the telltale?”

Her hands brushed his hair and rubbed his scalp.

“That’s beyond my purview.”

“I couldn’t have said it better, Miss Lewis.”

Darcy stepped back and opened her arms in an open invitation to do whatever he wanted. Tony hesitated ; he had tried his best to ignore his Iron Man’s obsession for Pepper, since they tended to fight about it way too much, but it was an itch he buried in alcohol. Apparently, some people thought that wasn’t better. Pleasing people was hard.

He shot off to the far end of the room. “Jarvis, Mark XLIII access.”

The ceiling opened above him and a red and gold armor deployed from it. He had done his best, really, but not having at least one armor ready was driving him mad. It was a security guarantee and he had indulged himself that one.

Tony raised his arms in a familiar gesture and smiled at the comforting familiarity of the process. When he was suited up, he looked back at Darcy. She had taken his place on the stool and was smiling softly at him. He walked to her, opening the faceplate.

“Have fun,” she said simply.

He nodded, unable to find appropriate words (thanks were overrated anyway). He tugged on her shirt. “Wait for me... just like that.”

“I’m freezing, Tony.”

He smirked. “I’ll warm you up.”

She pushed him away (or tried to anyway), rolling her eyes but smiling. “Go!”

He flew away in a rush.

***

She waited for him in the penthouse with a blanket on her shoulders and a pair of his socks on her feet. Leaning against the bay window and looking at the night sky, she slowly combed her hair with her fingers.

“Jarvis. Pepper is still coming back tomorrow?”

“Indeed, Miss Lewis.”

She hummed. It had been three weeks now, three weeks of sleeping with Tony Stark and making sure he wasn’t falling into alcohol like a highway to hell.

“What’s your assessment of his alcohol problem?”

“His consumption has decreased below even his standard level since your involvement. As you noticed, Mr Stark mainly uses warning protocols to call you when he wishes.”

“Trust him to turn a situation to his advantage,” she muttered.

“Indeed. I would say his improvement is still fragile, however.”

“Yeah. Like most fights against mental illness, I guess.”

“Mr Stark wouldn’t like to hear it referred as such.”

“Who said I cared about what he thinks?”

“… I remember you hesitated several times about what to wear to see him.”

She burst into laughter. “That’s low J, that’s low!” She danced with her blanket to the music Jarvis had changed for her (Tony would have a heart attack if he knew she was listening to Selena Gomez’s _The heart wants what it wants_ in his rooms, it was half the fun of it). She sang at the top of her voice. Twirling, swaying and hopping around were the best ways to warm up and cheer up.

And she needed it. With Pepper back soon, she wouldn’t have sex (such amazing sex at that) as regularly. It was sad… Ok, fine, she’ll miss Tony. Maybe, just maybe, she had some feelings about him, which was stupid and wouldn’t go anywhere because a serious relationship with that man? What a mess! She didn’t have Pepper’s patience.

She jumped on the leather couch and walked on it singing “ _I choose you_ ” loudly with Sara Bareilles.

Maybe she should accept that lab technician’s offer for coffee? … Nah. It would end in tears when she inevitably compared him to Tony. Better do it like she used to: ignore the problem until it goes away. That had work for Thor after all. Stupid crushes always went away.

The music decreased in volume and she turned around quickly to the stairs. She smiled sheepishly at Tony. He had taken his suit off and was looking at her, eyebrows raised and arms spread, palms to the sky. She bit her lips, hugged the blanket around her shoulders and bent a leg behind her. Play it innocent or distract him? … Selena Gomez came back with _Who says_. Forget the innocent part. She was totally doomed. He’d withdraw her access to Jarvis for sure.

She let the blanket go and jumped on the ground to run to him. “Was it ok? Do you feel better?” She babbled, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Wow, wow, wow, don’t try to change the subject. What’s that?!”

“Subject? What subject? I was trying to stay warm!”

“And you couldn’t do that with ACDC or Black Sabbath? _That_ would have kept your warm!”

She kissed him but he leaned his head back. “I’ve eclectic tastes!” She defended herself.

“Eclectic? I’d say pathetic!”

She changed tactics and let him go. “Fine. Since you take it that way…” She walked backwards. “… See you later!”

“Oh no, you don’t.” He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close to kiss her passionately, his hand buried in her hair. “We’ll talk about that later. Bed. Need to warm you up. Jesus, cold hands!” She smiled and stuck her hands to the back of his neck. He grabbed them with a curse and rubbed them between his own. “I was the one outside,” he grumbled.

“You’re the one who insisted. Is it worth it at least?” She widened her stance and let him stare.

“Jarvis, lights off above us.” With the only source of light coming from behind her, showing off her curves by transparency, he smirked. “Yep, totally worth it,” he concluded. His hands went to her thighs and she snickered at his face. That was new: usually he was staring higher. He brushed the inside of her thighs with his thumbs. She shivered. His hands went up, pushing the fabric away from her buttocks and hips… and then he took it off, forcing her to raise her arms and have a face full of her hair. She sputtered but when she opened her eyes the hungry look Tony gave her made her blush.

“That’s not helping to keep me warm, you know,” she noted.

He pulled her close, and whispered a promise against her lips: “I’m gonna keep you warm.”

He did.

And since the comforter wasn’t enough for her, he let her nestle against him while they slept, even though he wasn’t used to it and reminded her she had to keep her weight off his chest (she will never forget that ; she may not admit it but she’s convinced that the arc reactor will crumble under her weight). She’ll miss that. There’re not enough cuddles in the world.

Sleeping with Tony (in the snoozing way) had taught her a few things, mainly: full eight hours of sleep non-stop were a myth. Like, really, she rarely slept without waking up at least once but with him it was mission impossible. If it wasn’t nightmares it was because he was so out of sync with his sleep schedule. She didn’t know how he could function like that. Every time Darcy went to work after such a night, Jane _knew_ she had one ‘crazy night’ (thankfully she didn’t know with whom and wasn’t concerned enough to find out).

So, she was a little surprised when she woke up to the sight of ‘08:15’ projected on the ceiling to an empty bed (when did he become so discreet he could move without waking her? That’s new). Listening carefully told her everything she needed to know: there were two voices talking beyond the open bedroom door. “Pepper?” she asked.

“Yes, Miss Lewis. She arrived ten minutes ago.”

She nodded, grabbed her glasses and stepped in the walk-in-closet. Now the question was: taking Pepper’s clothes or Tony’s clothes? She shrugged, grabbed one of Tony’s shirt and pants from Pepper. That would do, she decided, walking to the kitchen.

They were talking about Pepper’s trip and the subsidiaries she had reviewed. They stopped when she walked in.

“Hi Pepper,” she greeted the lady (looking perfect at eight in the morning) with a little wave.

“Darcy. It’s so nice to see you.” She opened her arms and Darcy immediately went for a long hug.

“We need to talk about that. When did _that_ happened?” Tony immediately asked, pointing at them. “Since when are you friends?”

“I bribed her,” Darcy immediately confessed. Wanting to be in Pepper Potts' good graces was only natural after all. She was... well... Pepper Potts.

“What?”

“With coffee and chocolates,” Pepper added.

“And croissants, bottles of warm water, herbal tea…”

“What?!”

“She helped me. One day I had menstrual cramps…”

“…she went to the lab, I saw it and I helped her. That’s what girls do, you know… well, that’s what I’m used to do… as an intern slash female-scientist-sitter.”

“She came to my office to give me everything. It was sweet.”

“After that, since I knew all her weaknesses, I took advantage,” Darcy concluded dramatically.

“Don’t you have assistants for that sort of thing,” Tony asked, pointing at Pepper (again).

“Nathan’s a dear and quite competent but I’m pretty sure he has no idea what to do in that set of circumstances… just like you. He’ll have to learn though, his daughter will be eleven soon…”

“Anyway…” Darcy did her best salute. “Reporting, Ma’am. Private Stark has behaved satisfactorily since you gave the orders, Ma’am.”

Tony’s coffee went down the wrong way and he choked. Pepper smiled.“Thank you Darcy, I appreciate that you kept an eye on him.”

“Hey! I’m _at least_ an Officer!” Tony finally managed to protest.

Darcy rolled her eyes and winked at Pepper. “Well, I’ll leave you two alone. I’ve got to prepare for work. Good day to both of you!” She waved and left, happy there was no awkwardness between them.

***

Tony looked at Darcy’s back until she was out of sight. He leaned on his elbows to face Pepper and asked her: “Croissants?”

She tilted her head with a smile. “The best. From the French baker a few blocks away.”

“She went to buy them herself?”

“Yes. On foot.”

“… That must be love.”

“That’s what I thought too.”

“Why didn’t I get croissants?”

“Probably because she’s way too busy keeping you in line at every hour of the day or night.”

“No. I didn’t do that. I just… occupied a few of her evenings.”

“If I may, Sir, you woke her up three times in the middle of the night. She had to leave work once at eleven in the morning…”

“Shut up, Jarvis,” Tony quickly stopped him. Pepper raised The Eyebrow at him. He sighed. “Ok, fine, no croissants.” But he pouted anyway because French croissants!

“Tony.” Pepper put away the knife she used to peel her clementine. “How was it?”

He played with his toast without breaking their stare. He smirked. “Well, look at that, are you asking me for details Ms Potts?” Knowing better than to try her patience when she opened to him, he added quickly: “She’s a kitten. That’s her surname by the way.”

“A kitten?” Pepper blinked, bemused.

“Yeah, inexperienced but curious, willing, energetic and a cuddler.”

“That’s… sweet,” Pepper concluded, between two segments of clementine. “When you say inexperienced…”

“Oh, no, not a virgin… but her previous boyfriends haven’t much to say for themselves.”

“It’s good you’re here then.”

“Damn right. By the way, she’s never slept with a woman but she's definitely into you. So… still on for that threesome?”

She smiled softly, leaning against the counter and playing with a segment. “Well, she gave me croissants…”

“The best,” he emphasized.

She nodded with a lopsided grin. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Yes!” He fisted his hand in victory.

“You like her,” Pepper noted.

“Well, she’s… different,” he answered after a few seconds of thought.

“I know. I like her too for that. She’s… a breath of fresh air.”

 

Now, when Pepper Potts says she’ll take care of something, she will. You just had to be patient.

Two weeks later, Tony was informed it was bedtime by Jarvis (which was code for ‘Pepper is up for sex’) but when he walked into their bedroom, he wasn’t expecting to see Darcy sitting in the middle of the bed, Pepper brushing her hair behind her. They were both in night clothes. There was tea and chocolate beside them…

“Did I miss girls’ night?”

“Yep,” Darcy answered with a mischievous grin. “See, that’s what happens when you stay in your cave.”

“I’m here now. I can brush hair too. Can I brush your hair Pep?”

His girlfriend giggled and shook her head. “Sure Tony, if you want, but you have to prepare for bed first.”

“It’s a pajama party!” Darcy exclaimed, shaking her legs.

“Oh, is that what we’re calling it now?” He avoided a pillow. “Easy kitten, I know how much you like your pillows.”

“That, I do. And my teddy bear too. Pepper said we could have _one_ teddy bear for our girls’ night. We have to share.”

“You’re jerking my chain, here, aren’t you?”

“Yep.” She made the sound pop and the movement of her lips was emphasized. Damn her.

Tony quickly took care of brushing his teeth and stripping to boxers. But when he came back, Darcy was brushing Pepper’s hair. “No, nope, it’s my turn!” He scrambled on the bed and pushed Darcy on her back to grab the hairbrush. They engaged in a mock fight, in which Tony quickly subdued his opponent by kissing her thoroughly, feeling her relax beneath him. He pulled back to sit and brush Pepper’s hair, satisfied. When Darcy whined, he rolled his eyes and said to his girlfriend: “See? I told you: a kitten.”

Pepper smiled and stroked Darcy’s head. “I like kittens.”

“Who doesn’t like kittens?” Darcy murmured, pushing her face against Pepper’s thigh and humming contently.

“I like them… when they stay away from me,” Tony stated, shrugging.

Darcy pouted and crawled closer to Pepper. Obligingly, Pep stretched out her legs to let the young woman lie down on her lap, still stroking her hair. Darcy hummed…

“I’m sorry… I’m trying to purr but it doesn’t work. I think I’m a flawed kitty,” she remarked, raising her head slightly to watch them laugh.

“Nice, now you broke the kitten Pep. That’s why you shouldn’t have girls’ night without me, you need supervising,” Tony teased. _That_ made Pepper burst out laughing. Tony winked at Darcy and she winked back. “Maybe you should let me try, the kitten probably needs some… convincing to purr.”

He tried, he really did, for science, but she didn’t purr. To be fair, her mouth was really busy that evening. Pepper was just as appreciative of it as Tony, and he was certainly not going to dissuade them from kissing because hot damn!

 

Tony woke up with a start and in a sweat, breathless. He blinked and looked around. Pepper, as often, had her back turned to him, sleeping on her side near the border of the bed. Darcy was on her back in the middle… and opening her eyes. She shifted towards him and opened her arms. He chose to bypass them and grabbed her by the waist to pull her in his arms. She shifted to find a good position and appreciate the snuggling. Slowly, she rubbed his back and he used her breathing as reference to calm his.

“Can’t have a good night of sleep with me, right?” he muttered, eyes closed.

“I’m a light sleeper. I’m used to waking up in the middle of the night. It’s cool because then you look at the time and you think ‘oh I can still sleep for a while’, it’s like going to sleep twice. It’s cool,” she babbled, her ear against his shoulder.

He took a moment to appreciate that Pepper was the heavy kind of sleeper. She could fall asleep in most situations and continue to sleep through most of his nightmares. Darcy was the opposite but she never asked anything either and accepted without question if he wanted to cuddle or go tinker in his workshop. Right now… right now, he didn’t want to leave the bed where he’d had an incredible evening with two beautiful women. He wanted to bask in that memory and he was annoyed that yet again his happy moments were disrupt by his stupid brain.

Darcy stroked his cheek and kissed his neck. “I can hear you thinking Tony, and not the good type of thinking. Come on, focus on me Teddy Bear.”

He snorted. “Don’t you dare call me that.”

“But I like it and Pepper approved it.”

“Pepper won’t call me that.”

“Of course not, it’s my nickname.”

“What do you call her?”

“I wanted to try Ma’am, but she says it reminds her of Steve.”

Tony chuckled and looked fondly at Pepper. “I’m glad you’re friends… she needs more friends…”

“She has Natasha and Maria, hasn’t she?”

“Yeah but… it’s not the same.”

“Why? Because they talk about the many ways to destroy a man when they meet for dinner? Or conspire to take over the world?”

He snorted but he could totally picture that. “Something like that. Tonight was the most relaxed I’ve seen her in a while. She can simply focus on herself when she’s with you. That’s good…”

She shifted her head to look at him. “That’s funny… She said something similar about the time I spent with you.”

He smiled softly. Yes, it seemed like a “Darcy’s effect”. He nuzzled her hair and breathed in her scent. “I didn’t see you much these last weeks.” To be honest, they didn’t have many reasons to see each other more than a few minutes here and there in the common labs if he didn’t booty call her (and he couldn’t because Pepper had hidden his stash and he still hadn’t find out where).

She shrugged. “You had Pepper ; you had things to resolve with her. I didn’t want to intrude.”

“Bullshit, kitten. You’re welcome anytime here.” He stroke the small of her back. She rubbed his neck.

“You’ll regret that.”

“Pretty sure I won’t, kitten.”

**** December  2015 ****

Darcy opened the door of the country house they had rented for the holidays in a rush and bounced up and down to keep warm.

Tony got out of the car and removed his sunglasses to look around. “What’s this godforsaken hole?!” Pepper shot him a look from where she was exiting the passenger side.

“Somewhere no reporter will think to find you, as Pepper requested,” Darcy answered.

“We could go anywhere Pep: skiing in the Alps, swimming in Hawaii… anywhere! And this is what you chose?” Tony whined dramatically while taking out their bags from the trunk.

“I like it here. It’s quiet, natural, there’s snow and Darcy made a chimney fire,” Pepper commented, walking to her young friend and kissing her softly. Darcy buried herself briefly in Pepper’s fur coat, closing her eyes to appreciate the touch. Pepper’s hand stroked her cheek tenderly. “I missed you,” she whispered before walking inside, admiring the tasteful but bucolic décor and the Christmas tree Darcy had decorated.

“Signal is horrible!” Tony grumbled, putting back his phone in his coat, stepping in and basically ignoring Darcy. She pouted and closed the door behind him.

“Tony.” She called to catch his attention. When he glanced at her, she showed him her middle finger. He blinked. He stared at the ring (his ring) then at the necklace resting on the cleavage of her wide white T-shirt then at her bare legs. He gulped.

“That’s not fair,” he muttered in a hoarse voice. “Pepper, tell her that’s not fair.”

“She simply knows which arguments to use, Tony,” his girlfriend answered with a lopsided grin, taking off her scarf and coat. Pepper knew everything, including the ‘fuck you’ stories and she found it delightful (she had bought Darcy a new dress after hearing she had said no to sex with Tony Stark a few years back).

The billionaire let the bags thump on the ground and caught Darcy’s hands to draw her closer. “You know what that does to me, kitten. That’s naughty.”

“With all due respect Mr Stark, fuck you.”

“That’s the spirit, yeah, definitely,” he whispered before kissing her passionately.

Darcy hid her cold hands under his sweater and leeched on his warmth. She had chosen on a whim to only wear this shirt and her jewelry, driven by a bit of wistfulness, and she was counting on getting her money’s worth.

Tony lifted her and she squeaked. “Wow, careful, old man! We don’t want you to hurt your back.”

He pinched her. “You, little kitten, deserve a good spanking.”    

“That can’t be good for your arthritis, teddy bear.”

“Don’t worry Darcy. I can take care of it for him.”

Tony froze and Darcy startled. They turned to Pepper, cheek against cheek. She smirked at them and walked to the bedroom first.

“That’s…”

“Yeah. Hot.”

 

Even Tony finally admitted it was one of the best holidays ever. Pepper and Darcy high fived.


End file.
